On August 8, Colonel Ejup Maqedonci assumed the role of Minister of Defense, succeeding Armend Mehaj who had vacated the position.
Maqedonci personally confirmed this news to Radio Free Europe.
Kosovo’s media outlets have reported that Minister Mehaj tendered his resignation, and Mehaj himself has confirmed his resignation from the position, stating that it was also accepted by Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
The news was also confirmed by Kurti.
“At the request of the Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj, I have accepted his resignation. The request for release from duty comes due to family reasons. I expressed my gratitude to Minister Mehaj for his uninterrupted work, outstanding contribution, regular cooperation, and exemplary dedication since the first day of assuming his role. I have appointed Ejup Maqedonci as the new Minister of Defense, with whom we have collaborated in other capacities. I wish Minister Maqedonci success in advancing defense and security, as well as in the development and construction of our armed forces. On this occasion, we also held a joint meeting with the Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari,” wrote Kurti on Facebook.
In July of this year, Maqedonci opted for an early retirement from the Kosovo Security Force. He had previously been an active member of the Kosovo Liberation Army in the Llap Region Operational Zone.
Following that, he spent a decade serving as the commander of the search and rescue battalion within the Kosovo Security Force.
In the subsequent phase, Maqedonci continued his contributions as the head of the operations and training department at the General Staff of the Kosovo Security Force.
Upon his retirement, Mehaj awarded Maqedonci the “Career Medal” as a recognition of his significant role in shaping, restructuring, and modernizing the Kosovo Security Force.
On a different note, Armend Mehaj had arrived from Norway to join the Kosovo Government led by Albin Kurti, which gained office through a vote in March 2022.
